The Battle of the Claybeds
by Seventoes
Summary: My first fanfic. Oneshot about the often-mentioned Battle of the Claybeds. Please R&R! Writing tips are needed!


The Battle of the Claybeds

_My first fanfic evar! Just a little short story I thought would be fun to write. Forgive the bad… everything.. This is probably the first thing ive ever written that hasn't been for a grade :-/_

_Please read & review, I could definitely use some writing tips for my next FF, which will probably be Lyra's "acquisition" of Ma Costa's ship. :D_

_Enjoy!_

**The Battle of the Claybeds**

Lyra and Roger, along with the other college children and the temporary allies of the town children, stood eagerly together and eyed the brickburners' children from their side of the claybeds. They had, at Roger's suggestion, made a temporary truce from their normally constant rivalry to attack their mutual enemy. The plan was all laid out. Soggy clay ammunition was plentiful, and the main target was the lopsided clay castle that sit heavily guarded behind the loose formation of brickburner children.

The children on both sides took a step forward at some unheard signal, and they all armed themselves with a handful of sloppy clay. Their daemons were in the forms they thought would be most effective, most of them in monkey form so they could assist in supplying ammo to their humans or bring additional firepower. Some of the more clever children, like Lyra, and, at her suggestion, Roger, told their daemons to take the form of a swift to nudge the flying clay balls to ensure deadly accuracy.

Lyra stepped forward slowly and noticed one of her enemies doing the same. Their glances met, and at the same unseen signal they both launched their handful at each other, and almost instantly a hundred bright-brown shapes sprung into the bright blue air. Both groups charged forward with a loud excited yell, with many of the city kids slipping clumsily on the unfamiliar wet clay footing that the brickburners were so used to. Crouch-running to scoop up more ammo, both groups met and stopped at an invisible line in the center, still showering each other with clay. The city kids knew their goal, and eyed the slushy kid-sized fortress longing to push it over in triumph.

Most of the kids were just enjoying the muddy battle, but Lyra knew they had a job to do. Her no-longer-dark blond hair matted with mud, her and heavy-winged Pantalaimon jumped over the group of brickburner kids that were trying to get up after being pelted in the head by a accidentally coordinated throw, followed by three or four others who saw the opportunity too. Closing in on their objective and seeing success ahead of them, Lyra looked up just in time to see her agile Pantalaimon get struck from behind, and fall directly into the swampy castle with a splat, surprising Lyra and making her slip headfirst into the soggy ground, tripping all of the children following her into a pile. 

As she slid out of the bottom of the slimy dogpile and wiped her eyes clear, she yelled to the kids still fighting the main line, most of which had forgotten all about the castle in the excitement, to come and try to topple their target. The ones who didn't slip trying to run from a full stop on the slick ground broke through and ran straight for the castle, all of them trying to get there first. Many were wrestled to the ground, but, as the city kids outnumbered their enemy, some more broke through. By the time Lyra was on her feet again, her allies had reached the castle and started pushing, daemons helping any way they could. Lazily the castle-tower started leaning back, until it finally collapsed into a lump of soggy brown-gray. Covered in clay, the city children cheered and clapped in triumph.

The brickburner children slowly realized their loss, some still wrestling in the wet ground, and one by one got up and grumbled their "We'll get you next time"s while their daemons continued battling, flinging more muck into the air. Lyra found Roger in the crowd of clay-faced kids, and they both tried to think of what she could tell Mrs. Lonsdale as the swarm of kids and daemons filtered back to their own side of the claybeds.


End file.
